Scott Brooks
Scott William Brooks (born July 31, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional basketball player. Originally from Lathrop, California, Brooks is currently serving as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder professional basketball team, in the National Basketball Association. Standing at 5'11", or 1.80 meters, Brooks played the basketball position of point guard while playing collegiately at San Joaquin Delta College and Texas Christian University, before finishing his final two years at the University of California, Irvine. He was inducted into UCI's Hall of Fame in 2001. Early life and college Born Scott William Brooks, in French Camp, California on July 31, 1965, Brooks graduated from East Union High School at Manteca, California in 1983. As a freshman, he played college basketball at Texas Christian University for a season and then transferred for his sophomore year to San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California, about 10 miles from his parents' home in Lathrop, California. After only being offered a walk-on spot by nearby University of the Pacific, he declined that offer and spent the next two years at the University of California, Irvine. In his senior season at UCI, he averaged 23.8 points and made 43.2% of his three-point attempts. On the night that the Bren Events Center opened at UC Irvine on January 8, 1987, Brooks scored 43 points as UCI defeated Utah State, 118-96. He scored 41 points in a 90-79 win at University of the Pacific later that season to tie the Spanos Center scoring record. Basketball career After not being drafted in the 1987 NBA Draft, Brooks debuted professionally with the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association under coach Bill Musselman. Brooks was named to the CBA's all-rookie team in 1988 and was a member of Albany's CBA Championship team that same season. Later, he played for the Fresno Flames of the World Basketball League. Brooks played 10 seasons (1988–1998) in the NBA, appearing as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, and was a member of Houston's 1994 NBA Championship team. In 1995, Brooks was traded to the Mavericks for Morlon Wiley and a second-round pick in the only trade deadline deal of the season. Brooks signed with the Los Angeles Clippers before the 1998-1999 season but sat out due to a right knee injury. The Clippers waived Brooks on February 19, 1999, re-signed him, then released Brooks in October 1999, during the 1999-2000 preseason. Brooks joined the Los Angeles Stars of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 2000–2001, where he was both a player and an assistant coach. He currently serves as head coach for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, taking over the position initially on an interim basis for fired P.J. Carlesimo on November 22, 2008. Previously, he served as an assistant coach for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets. Brooks was named the 2009-10 NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Thunder to a 50-win season and the 8th seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs, a 26-win increase over the previous season. The following year he led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals, where they eventually lost to the 2011 NBA Champions, the Dallas Mavericks. On February 11, 2012, Scott Brooks was named the Western Conference All-Star Coach for the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida. In the summer of 2012, the Thunder signed Brooks to a multi-year head coaching contract reportedly worth about $18 million. Coaching record Category:Coach